Platform type shoe



R. MALING Feb. 27, 1951 PLATFORM TYPE SHOE Filed Nov. 4, 1948 Patented Feb. 27, 1,951

PLATFORM TYPE SHOE Roy Maling, Chestnut Hill, Mass., assigner to Margaret A. Maling, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Application November 4, 1948, Serial No. 58,314

3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to improvements in platform type shoes and slippers. More particularly it provides an improved platform base structure for shoes and slippers wherein the upper and the outsole are cemented to a pre-formed and covered platform base unit.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a platform base unit for cemented shoes and slippers wherein flexible and resilient forepart elements are eifectively combined with a substantially solid and rigid heel element, with a cemented inter-leaving of elements at their region of juncture such that the forward edge of the rigid heel element, about which the forepart elements flex in use of the shoe, is buried between cushioning portions of said resilient forepart elements and is free of mechanical fastening devices.

Another object is to provide a platform base unit for cemented shoes and slippers wherein a substantially rigid heel element is combined with a plurality of forepart elements of flexible and resilient sheet material with one of said forepart elements extending a substantial distance rearward in cemented contact with an under surface of the rigid heel element, and with another of the forepart elements extending a substantial distance rearward in cemented contact with the upper surface of the rigid heel element, said forepart elements, forward of the rigid heel element, being cemented directly together to provide a composite forepart structure.

A further object is to provide a platform base structure for shoes and slippers wherein two superimposed forepart elements of different flexible and resilient sheet materials are combined with a rigid heel element so that the said forepart elements have appreciable cemented extent respectively under and over a forward part of the rigid heel element, and wherein the upper one of the forepart elements has a bead stitched to it al1 around the top margin thereof.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and flexible qualities of platform base units and more especially such units having rigid heel elements combined with flexible forepart elements.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe having a platform base structure embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a medial longitudinal cross-sectional View of the platform base unit of the shoe of Fig. 1, omitting the outsole; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base unit of Fig. 2, but omitting its covering elements,

Referring to the drawing, the shoe of Fig. 1 may have any type or style of upper E@ secured by cement to a platform base unit indicated generally at l2. IThe outsole I4 also is secured by cement to the base unit I2.

According to the invention, the platform base unit I2 has two superimposed forepart elements It, I8, of which the lower element le is thicker than element i3, being preferably formed of rubber or cork or a composition of the two. Element I8, on the other hand, preferably will be made of felt or the like.` The two forepart elements It, I8 are effectively combined with a rigid heel element 20, which may be of wood, for example.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the heel element 2i) has tapering extent forwardly to provide shank curvature at its upper side, and its forward portion is under-cut at 22 for reception of the rearwardly extending portion of the forepart element i6, the said rearwardly extending portion of element i6 being cemented to element 2t* at the under-cut portion 22 thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention herein represented, a sheet member 24, of paper stock or the like, covers the top surface of the heel ele-y ment 2t and constitutes a carrier sheet for bead 25 at rear portions of the base unit. The bead extends all around the unit, being stitched to the forepart element I3 around the forepart and to the sheet member 25 around the rear portions of the unit. Conveniently, the element ifi and member 24 may be associated together for the stitching, with an appreciable overlapping at 28 which results in their being stitched together along opposite sides of the region of overlapping by the same stitches which secure the bead in place. Then the stitched assembly is cemented to the forepart element I6 and heel element 20, with the overlapping portions at 28 arranged over the forward portion of the rigid heel element 20. Hence, the relatively thick resilient element I6 extends as a substantial cushion under the forward edge of the heel element 20, and the thinner resilient element I8, backed by the overlapping sheet member 24, extends as a cushion above the forward edge of rigid elemnt 20, the forward portion of element 2U being substantially inter-leaved between the cushioning elements I5, I8. As a result, the forepart of the unit has a high degree of exibility relative to the rigid heel element 2G, and the juncture of elements is effectively secure, with the rigid part about which flexing occurs, comfortably cushioned.

When the unit structure is covered by wrapping the sheet element 30 over its edges, the clement 30 is turned inward over the bead 26, giving the unit an edge appearance of thickness substantially greater than the combined thicknesses of the forepart elements I6, I8. Also, when an upper I0 is being combined with the base unit l2, the covered bead 26 constitutes a guide within which applied cement readily may be confined, and serves to ensure a proper centering of the upper on the base unit. Also, in a completed shoe, the glue line is behind the covered bead and thus effectively obscured.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shoe, a platform base unit comprising a substantially rigid heel element having tapering extent into the shank region of the unit for providing shank curvature, a plurality of superimposed flexible forepart elements of resilient material, at least one of said forepart elements having substantial cushioning 'extent under` the foremost part of said rigid neel element, and at least one other of said forepart elements having substantial cushioning extent over said foremost part of the rigid heel element, a sheet member covering the top surface of the heelv element, a bead extending all around the top margin of the unit and stitched directly to the upper one of the forepart elements around the forepart, and stitched directly to said covering member around the rear part of the unit, cement securing the said upper one of the forepart elements to the next lower forepart element and securing said covering member to the rigid heel element, and a flexible covering sheet covering the edges of the unit and turned inward over said bead all around the top margin ci' 'the unit.

2. In a shoe, a platform base unit comprising a substantially rigid heel element having tapering extent into the shank region of the unit for providing shank curvature, the forward end portion of said element having a substantial cutout at its under side, a forepart element of flexible and resilient material having its rearmost portion extending under and cemented to the heel element at said cut-out region thereof, said forepart element and the major extent of the heel element having under surfaces substantially in a common plane, a second forepart element of ilexible and resilient material superimposed upon and cemented to the rst mentioned forepart element, said second forepart element having its rearmost portion extending over and secured to the forward end portion of the heel element, whereby the forward portion of the heel element is inter-leaved between the forepart elements, a bead stitched to said second forepart element all around the top margin of the forepart of the unit, said bead extending also all around the top margin of the rear part of the unit, means at the rear part of the unit to which said bead is stitched, cement securing the latter said means to the top face of the heel element, and a cover sheet wrapped over the edges of the unit and turned inward over the said bead all around the unit.

3. In a shoe, a platform base unit comprising a substantially rigid heel element having tapering extent into the shank region of the unit for providing shank curvature, the forward end portion of said element having a substantial cutout at its under side, a relatively thick forepart element of flexible and resilient material, a second forepart element of flexible and resilient material superimposed upon and cemented to the first mentioned forepart element throughout the major portions of their extents, the rearmost portions of said forepart elements being spread apart and extending respectively under and over the forward end of the heel element, means securing the said forward end of the heel element in inter-leaved relation between the spread forepart elements, an upstanding bead secured to the top margin of the unit all around the unit, a covering element extending over the edges of the forepart elements and the heel element and turned inward over said upstanding bead, and an upper centered within said bead and cemented to the base unit within the confines of and behind the said bead.

ROY MALING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 9, 1942 Number Number 

